Deutsche Welle English Service News 19. 12. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany Relieved at Freeing of Hostage, But Questions Remain Germany rejoiced following the freeing of hostage Susanne Osthoff and her driver in Iraq after more than three weeks in captivity. But details of the release are still shrouded in mystery. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1828431,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Play DW-WORLD's Christmas Click & Win with a chance to get fabulous prizes from Playmobil! To participate, please visit our home page at http://www.dw-world.de/english ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Freed hostage won't return to Germany Germany's Foreign Ministry says a German hostage released by her captors in Iraq does not intend to immediately return to Germany. A ministry spokesman said Susanne Osthoff would like to spend some time with her daughter away from the public. It was not clear where the reunion would take place. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced Osthoff's release on Sunday. She was said to be in good condition and in the care of the German embassy in Baghdad. The details of Osthoff's release, however, were not revealed. Osthoff, who converted to Islam and speaks fluent Arabic, is the first German to be abducted in Iraq. The archaeologist and aid worker was seized late last month with her Iraqi driver. Afghanistan opens new parliament Afghanistan has inaugurated its first parliament after three decades of war. The opening of the parliament is the final step of Afghanistan's transition to democracy after the extremist Taliban regime was toppled in a US-led invasion four years ago. The swearing-in ceremony took place under tight security and began with a reading from the Koran. A quarter of the parliament seats were reserved for women. The new parliament also includes some former Taliban and communist leaders from the 1980's and a number of warlords. President Hamid Karzai urged the new MPs to put aside their differences for the sake of the country. US operated secret prison in Afghanistan A global human rights watchdog says the United States operated a secret prison in Afghanistan as recently as last year where detainees were tortured. US-based Human Rights Watch says it has credible reports that eight people, now being held at Guantanamo Bay, were tortured at the prison. The organisation says the accusation is based on accounts given to its lawyers. The US has been criticised by human rights groups over its treatment of detainees from Afghanistan and Iraq. The US has neither confirmed nor denied reports of secret CIA-run prisons in other countries, but says none of its interrogation techniques amounts to torture. Bush says Iraq war is being won In a live nation-wide televison address, US President George W. Bush has appealed to Americans to support the war in Iraq. He said mistakes had been made and the conflict was tougher than expected, but that, in the long run, the US-led operation would win allies for America by helping Iraqis build a democratic state. Bush said a US military pullout now would "hand Iraq over to enemies". He said Iraq's election was the start of constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East. More than 2,100 US troops have been killed in Iraq since the end of the US-led invasion of April 2003, as well as more than 30,000 Iraqis. Tribesmen and army clash in Pakistan Pakistani forces have launched an operation against tribal rebels in the troubled Baluchistan province. The military action began late Sunday during which rebels had launched two rocket attacks on government Frontier Corps camps in the area. There were unconfirmed reports of deaths after an army raid in Kolhu, about 300 kilometres east of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, but officials said they had no information about any rebel casualties. Local tribesmen oppose government presence in the region where rebels and other nationalists demand control of rich gas and mineral resources they say do not bring enough benefits to local people. Former Aceh rebels turn in weapons Former rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province have surrendered a final batch of weapons to meet the total required under a historic peace pact with the government. The rebels surrendered 35 more weapons, meeting the terms of the August agreement signed with the government in Helsinki. The Aceh Monitoring Mission, a foreign monitoring team mandated to oversee the weapon handover, said the agreed upon 840 weapons had been turned over. In return, the Indonesian government withdrew three-quarters of its non-local military and police units. The peace agreement stipulates that by the end of the fourth phase, only 14,700 soldiers and 9,100 police will remain in Aceh. Death toll in Thai floods rises to 21 The death toll from flooding in southern Thailand has risen to at least 21. Up to 500,000 people are affected by the floods, either from water-borne illnesses and or whose homes suffered property damage. The Thai government has sent army helicopters to drop food and medicine to people trapped. Heavy rains over the past weeks have caused not only flooding, but numerous landslides. Sharon should be released on Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to be released from hospital on Tuesday after suffering a mild stroke. Sharon's condition has improved since being hospitalised overnight, and doctors say he should be able to resume his duties as prime minister. The 77-year-old former general is battling for re-election after pushing through a controversial pull-out from the Gaza Strip, and leaving Likud to start a new political party. Norway: 6 charged for Munch art thefts A national prosecutor in Norway says six people have been indicted in the theft of the still-missing Edvard Munch masterpieces "The Scream" and "Madonna". In August 2004, masked gunmen grabbed the paintings from the Munch Museum in Oslo in front of stunned visitors. Despite an international search and promises of a reward the works have yet to be recovered. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Week in Germany: The best from German culture, business and politics in a convenient weekly wrap-up. 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